ABSTRACT

Klaus Jacobs, a Swiss entrepreneur and philanthropist, led the conversion of his father’s coffee company into a major European concern, Jacobs Suchard. Since its sale, Jacobs has founded, acquired, and merged with a number of other enterprises, held under the Jacobs AG holding and investment company. In 1988, he created the Jacobs Foundation to provide opportunities for young people in the Americas and in Europe to develop professional skills and to be in tune with nature. In 2001, Jacobs donated all his rights regarding the financial assets of Jacobs AG, estimated at US $1,129m. (1,400m. Swiss francs), to the Foundation.